Monday, July 11, 2011

12 Hours of Humboldt Returns for 2011

It looks like I've been completely asleep at the wheel in covering our way NorCal friends up in Humboldt. It's this weekend (7/23/11), but well worth the trek:

With temperatures throughout California reaching into the 90s and beyond, many mountain bike endurance racers are looking forward to visiting Arcata for the Adventure’s Edge 12 Hours of Humboldt, July 23, as a means of getting in some great racing while also escaping the sweltering heat-wave. The average July daily temperature in this corner of the north coast is in the high 60s! Factor in a course that is almost entirely under the shade of giant redwood trees and it’s no wonder that most of the riders in this popular event come from out of the area.

The 12 hour long event runs from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. While a number of the riders will go it solo, there will also be relay teams of 2, 3 or 4 riders competing in several different categories based on age and rider ability. And new this year is the 6 Hours of Humboldt; a kinder, gentler option for riders who want the satisfaction of a solo experience, but aren’t up for a full 12 hours. The 6 hour event will go from 8:00am to 2:00pm.

The course weaves through the Arcata Community Forest using a variety of trails. The 7.4-mile course is a fun mix of fire road and flowing single-track, boasting 1112’ of elevation gain per lap. Mountain bike endurance hero Tinker Juarez has called the course “One of the best I’ve ridden.”

The main venue is in Arcata’s Redwood Park. The pit area will be on the upper lawn where riders and teams will be able to put up tents, awnings, etc. Riders with children will be pleased to know that there’s a playground adjacent to the start/finish/transition.

Team Bigfoot, an Arcata-based event promotions company, is organizing this event and has pledged a portion of each rider entry fee to the new Ridge Trail, a large addition to the Arcata Community Forest, and to the Humboldt County Search and Rescue Team. For information on the race visit Adventure’s Edge in Arcata or Eureka, or go to the website at www.teambigfoot.net, or call (707) 845-3095.